Truss



Aug. 9,1927. v

R. SCHMIDT 'muss Q Filed ual-ch' 15, 1925 falle/rfa@ Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

RUDOLPH SCHMIDT, yor ROSEDALE, KANSAS.

TRUSS.

.Application lediMarch 15, 41926. Serial No. 94,769.

This inventionfrelates to surgical trusses vof that class having an. encircling spring andstrap and equipped with pads at thel ends of thespring, one for bearing against the back of the patient and. the other for applying' pressure at the pointV where the hernia requires support or retention. There have been many devicesof this class patented.- and many marketed, but none with whichl; am familiar, retains the hernia with asubstantial ,uniformity of pressure comfortable in all attitudes which the patient may, assume, and my special object is to produce a truss of simple, strong, durableand inexpensive construction, having th-e `front end herniapad so yieldinfrly supportedthat excess pressure applied, through .bending movements of the body, on the pad' above or below its horizontal diameter, shallm'eet with correspondingly increased resistance to' the endv` that the hernia shall be properly supportedA at Vall times, the pressure of the pad being always ofV a yielding character around said horizontal center so that while affording proper support, the patient shall be subjected to the least possible discomfort.

l/Viththisrgeneral object in view, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a truss embodying` my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan of the front pad and its connections.

Figure 3 is an, inner face view of the construction shown by Figure 2.V

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 1 in- Y dicates a substantially semi-circular spring for fitting around one side of the body of a patient, 2 a. strap to fit around the opposite side, and 3 a back pad suitably mounted at the junction vof the spring and strap, the former having a suit-able rubber or fabric covering 4 for cushioning purposes, as customary. The front end of the spring l terminates in an outwardly extendingrosette 4a, and a short angle arm 5 has at one end. a rosette 5a pivoted to rosette 4a at- 5?, and at the other end a rosette head 5 adjustably engaged by the corresponding head of a short plate 6, the two heads being clamped firmlytogether by a pivotV bolt and nut connection 7'. The arrangement described permits. the plate y6 tov'be vrotatably adjusted around pivotal point 5b, and tobe adjusted pivotally on the pivotal connection 7 for the` purpose of applying pressure by the front pad, hereinafter described, at the most effective point on the body of any patient. lt `accommodates the pad to bodies of. mate*- rially different contour. 1 Y A screw bolt Sis mounted in and projects from' thefront end of the plate 6 and a lock npt 9 engagesstheboltand front end of the p ate.

A disk 10 is pro-vided on its front or` outer face withV a radial tubular lug 11, and projecting from the samey side-ofthe disk ina plate perpendicular tothat ofthe lug and at'theopposite side of theaXial center from the lug and equal distances from said cen-y ter, is a `pair Ofheaded pins 12 forsecuring to the disk-the front ends of the arms of a substantially V-shaped spring 13, secured at its apex coincidentally with the axis of plate 6, by the pivotal fasteningjdevices 7 the ari rangement being suchfthat the arms of said spring shall apply uniform pressure rearwardly on the disk above and below'its axis, either arm beingadapted to yield outwardly in the event of encountering a Ypressure in excess of that normally sustained, that is to say,ieither arm of the spring is capable of yielding outwardly in the event it is subjected to ygreater pressure due to bending or ltwisting movements of the body.

TheA disk 10 is provided centrallyV with a hollow protuberance 14 concaved at its rear edge and engaging aV semi-circular central projection 15 of a circular plate 16. The plate 16 forms the frame of the front pad, and is provided marginally with an outwardly projecting circular flange 17 beaded at its front edge. A covering 18 of soft material of any suitable character fits over the inner or rear face of the frame and around the flange 17 and its beaded edge, and a spring 19 fits within the frame and bears against the edge of the cover 18 to clamp the samey firmly against the flange and bead for'theV purpose 'of dependably securing the coverin place` A light spring20 is attached at one end to thecenter of the frame 16 and at the other end by aremovable pin 21 to the disk 10, so as to hold Vthe pad in yielding engagement With the protuberance 14: Without interferingV With rocking self-adjustments of the pa'd relative to the disk.

The device is applied to the body in the customary manner, after making such adjustments of the parts and 6 as necessary to apply the pad in a iirm and comfortable manner vto the hody, it being understood that the contour ot the latter Will determine such adjustments. When the proper posit-ions ot the parts 5 and 6 have been attained, the strap 22 slidingly attached to the main strap 2, is adapted to be buttoned onto the pins 12, the strap 22 having a plurality of slits or buttonholes 23- ior adjustment to accommodate the girth of the wearer. lt will be apparent that when the truss is applied, the pad is capable of rocking slightly relative to the disk l0, and that the disk being sWivelled on the bolt 8, is capable of rocking to accommodate the pad to such movements of the body as tend to effect changes in the position in the pad and disk, and spring arms 13 tend, of course, to maintain the pad `firmly against the body regardless of -the position of the latter.

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have produced a'` truss embody-r ing the features ot advantage set forth as desirable. in the statement ot theobject of the invention, and Which may be modified in minor particulars YWithout departing from the principle of construction and mode ot operation involved.

I claim:

l. In a truss, a pad and a1 disk having a ball and socket relation, the disk at its outery at their free ends to said pins.

2. A truss comprising a semi-circular spring, a strap, a back pad suitably connected to adjacent ends of the spring and strap, a

strap slidably attached at an intermediate point of its length to thefree end of the first-V named strap and having a plurality of button holes'in each end, an angle plate secured to the free end of the said spring, la plate pivoted to the angle plate, a'bolt'seycured to and projecting from said plate, a

disk provided at its outer side With a radial lug fitting on said holt for turning movement thereon, a pair of headed pins projecting outwardly from the disk ait opposite sides ot and equal distances from the radial plane of said lug, a spring secured to the' plate carry-A ing the bolt and having diverging a'rms respectively engaging said headed pins, and a pad carried at the inner side of said disk; said sliding strap being adapted or'engagement With said headed pins.

In Witness whereof I hereunto aliix my signature.

RUDoLPH SCHMIDT. l. 

